Written Answers Thursday 27 January 2005

Scottish Executive

Access for People with Disabilities

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is improving the accessibility of public buildings.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has been investing in accessibility improvements in its core buildings since 1995, and will continue to do so.

  The Scottish Executive is also providing funding across a very wide range of relevant activities. For example, we have provided £34 million to local authorities to help improve accessibility in schools over the period 2004 to 2006. In higher education, spend on accessibility rose from 20% of maintenance spend in 2000-01 to 27% in 2002-03. And the Fair For All project has had £175,000 over the past year to support NHS implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to improve the rights of tenant farmers.

Ross Finnie: The Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003 transformed tenant farming. It introduced short limited-duration tenancies and limited-duration tenancies, reflecting the historic agreement reached between the representatives of tenants and landlords. It extended tenants' rights in numerous other respects, including rights to use farmland for non-agricultural purposes and guaranteed rights of compensation at the end of a lease for farm improvements made by the tenant. The act also introduced a pre-emptive right to buy for tenants whose tenancy is governed by the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991.

Agriculture

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the farm income figures for 2004.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is today publishing the Scottish farm income figures. There are two separate data series published at this time, each of which looks at agriculture from a different perspective.

  The Total Income from Farming series is an aggregate measure and relates to Scottish agriculture as a whole over the calendar year. The figures show that Total Income From Farming (TIFF) is estimated to have risen by 2.5% in 2004 to £505 million. Finished cattle and sheep markets continue to improve, as shown by the 3% and 5% increase in cattle and sheep respectively. Cereals are down slightly due to weather conditions and exchange rates.Due to its method of construction, the TIFF figures cannot be broken down into different types of farming. The second data series known as Net Farm Income is designed to enable comparisons to be made across different farm types. Net Farm Income is a narrower measure and is based on farm financial years rather than calendar years. Thus Net Farm Income captures movements in prices and costs that are different to those in TIFF because of the differing time periods accounted for by the two measures. For these reasons the two series should not be directly compared with each other.Average net farm income (NFI) for all farm types rose by 90% between 2002-03 and 2003-04, from £10,400 to £19,800. There was a considerable rise for most farm types, with cereal and general cropping farms showing significant increases. Net farm incomes are forecast to fall by about 47% in 2004-05 to £10,500 mainly as a consequence of lower cereals prices reflecting the poorer quality of the 2004 harvest. Detailed estimates of the outputs, inputs and income for 2004 at both aggregate level and by farm type will be published this morning. A copy of which will be place in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 35602).

Asthma

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people it estimates have been diagnosed with asthma in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: The table below gives estimates of the number of patients newly diagnosed with asthma by GPs in the five years from 1999 to 2003, the last year for which figures are available. These are derived from information collected under NHS National Services Information and Statistics Division’s Continuous Morbidity Recording system and are based on the activity of sample GP practices.

  

Year
Estimated Number of Patients


1999
36,500


2000
34,600


2001
29,000


2002
29,700


2003
26,600

Broadcasting

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with BBC Scotland regarding its restructuring and any impact this will have on the coverage of Scottish culture.

Patricia Ferguson: Yes. My officials met with senior managers at BBC Scotland last week and this was one of the issues discussed.

Charities

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the term "public benefit" in the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Bill can be interpreted more broadly than as a material benefit and whether the benefit can be spiritual or moral.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is well-established in existing charity case law that public benefit can mean spiritual and moral benefit rather than merely material benefit and the Executive intends this to continue under the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Bill.

Civil Servants

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants there have been in each of its departments in each year since 1999 and, of these, how many were on secondment from non-departmental public bodies, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of civil servants in each department.

Mr Tom McCabe: The number of full-time equivalent permanent staff employed in each of the Scottish Executive core departments as at 1 April of each year since 1999 is set out in table A.

  The number of people who were on inward secondment and known to have come from non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) to Scottish Executive core departments is set out in table B. Information for the years 1999 and 2000 is not available as no individual records have been retained for any inward secondees from NDPBs.These secondees are not civil servants and are not generally included in Scottish Executive staffing figures and are therefore not included in table A. If the number of secondees were expressed as a percentage of the total of civil servants plus secondees then due to the small numbers involved the percentage of secondees in each department would be less than 1% in each department Table A:

  Number of Permanent Full-Time Equivalent Staff in Scottish Executive Core Departments

  

 
April 99
April 2000
April 01
April 02
April 03
April 04


SE Core Total 
3,706.5
3,929.3
3,985.6
4,144.6
4,332.6
4,411.0


Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries 
940.6
..
..
..
..
..


Environment and Rural Affairs 
..
963.7
1,017.2
1,074.1
1,086.1
1,086.2


Central Services 
..
1,081.8
..
..
..
..


Corporate Services
..
..
705.5
640.8
624.9
 


Office of the Permanent Secretary
..
..
..
..
..
745.0


Executive Secretariat 
..
..
283.6
341.1
..
..


Finance 
..
..
128.3
143.1
..
..


Finance and Central Services 
..
..
..
..
556.1
569.0


Legal and Parliamentary Services 
..
..
..
..
173.5
179.2


Ministerial Group 
..
..
..
85.2
89.2
..


Education and Industry 
582.6
..
..
..
..
..


Education 
..
355.4
384.8
295.6
268.5
275.4


Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning *
..
296.9
309.4
331.3
340.8
517.2


Health 
251.5
308.0
337.3
374.8
382.9
396.0


Home 
369.8
..
..
..
..
..


Justice 
..
326.2
234.1
215.1
227.2
253.4


Development 
482.2
517.3
506.5
564.2
486.0
312.4


Centrally Managed Staff 
74.4
80.0
78.9
79.3
97.4
77.2



  Note: *Transport Group moved from Development Department to become part of the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department towards the end of 2003.Table B:

  Number of Inward Secondees from NDPBs to Scottish Executive Core Departments

  

 
April 99
April 2000
April 01
April 02
April 03
April 04


Environment and Rural Affairs 
 .. 
 .. 
3.0
2.0 
5.0 
4.0 


Office of the Permanent Secretary
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
1.0 


Finance and Central Services 
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
1.0 


Education 
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
1.0 
 .. 


Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning*
 .. 
 .. 
 
1.0 
2.0 
3.0 


Health 
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
2.0 
2.0 


Justice 
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
 .. 
1.0 
2.0 



  Note: *Transport Group moved from Development Department to become part of the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department towards the end of 2003.

Communities

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how quality of life funding is benefiting communities.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Quality of Life fund allows councils to support local issues that improve the lives of people and the fabric of the communities they live in. I have been flexible in how local authorities can use this funding, including supporting local programmes that are working to build safer communities and providing better local facilities for children and young people.

  The recent spending review confirmed an additional £100 million for 2006-2008. This reflects our Partnership Agreement commitment to support the improvement of quality of life for people across Scotland.

Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what new crimes have been created since June 1999; how many persons have been charged under each of these crimes and, of these, how many have been convicted.

Cathy Jamieson: The legislation listed in the first table below covers provisions in primary legislation receiving Royal Assent after June 1999 and provisions in secondary legislation laid after June 1999 which were identified in the Scottish Executive Justice Statistical Unit annual crime classification exercises as creating new offences.

  The information available on the number of persons proceeded against and convicted for these offences is given in the second table. Many of the new offences listed in the first table are too recently enacted to feature in this data, which cover only those cases where court proceedings had been concluded by the end of 2003.

  Legislation Since June 1999 Creating New Offences

  

Primary Legislation
Sections
SEJD Code
Crime/Offence description


Food Standards Act 1999
 
73/008
Food Safety and Food Standards offences


Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
 
45/000
Aliens and Immigration Offences


Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999
Sch 1 paras 17,18 and 25
73/004
Control of pollution


Welfare and Pensions Act 1999
 
85/033*
Pension Acts1


Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
Clause 64 and Sch 7
73/022
Other conservation offences


Ethical Standards in Public Life etc (Scotland) Act 2000
17(7) and 33(3)
85/032*
Ethical Standards in Public Life


Postal Services Act 2000
S85(1)(not explosives)
33/001
Vandalism, malicious damage and malicious mischief


Postal Services Act 2000
S85(1)(explosives)
37/002
Unlawful use of explosives


Postal Services Act 2000
S85(3)(4)
59/001
Handling obscene material


Postal Services Act 2000
S83, 84, 86(2), 88(1)(a)
84/002
General post office/telecommunications offences


Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
Sections 1, 12, 22, 53 and 54
84/004
Interception of Communications


Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000
 
17/001
Lewd and libidinous practices


Terrorism Act 2000
18
36/001
Terrorism, money laundering related offences


Terrorism Act 2000
Secs nec
36/009
Prevention of terrorism, other offences


Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
S 113(1), 114(1)(b)
36/009
Prevention of terrorism, other offences


Housing (Scotland) Act 2001
 
73/014
Housing(s) Acts 


Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001
S21,22
83/016
Registration of Care Establishments


Transport (Scotland) Act 2001
S 55(4) & (5)
25/000
Fraud (Including Statutory Fraud)


Transport (Scotland) Act 2001
S 73(a)
38/018
Failure to notify police or provision of false information 


Transport (Scotland) Act 2001
S 56(3) & (7)
72/005
Obstruction of local official 


Transport (Scotland) Act 2001
S 68(6)
81/002
Public service vehicles offences


Transport (Scotland) Act 2001
S 43(6)
84/003
Disclosure of information 


Transport (Scotland) Act 2001
S 55(6), 56(5) & (6)
399/000
Motor Vehicles, Other Offences 


Fur Farming (Prohibition) (Scotland) Act 2002
 
51/003
Animals, offences involving (ex dogs, birds else class)


Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
 
31/004*
Proceeds of crime


Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002
1
51/013*
Hunting with Dogs


Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002
S 15(7)
84/003
Disclosure of information


Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002
 
83/013
Trading offences


Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002
 
73/011
Water Acts 


Communications Act 2003
S172-182
84/001
Wireless Telegraphy Act offences


Communications Act 2003
S125-127
84/002
General post office/telecommunications offences


Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003
S22(1)
18/009
Immoral traffic


Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003
 
73/023*
Dog fouling


Fireworks Act 2003
 
54/000
Keeping and Supply of Explosives


Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003
315
11/003
Ill treatment of mental patients


Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003
311 & 313
18/004
Carnal knowledge of mentally disordered person


Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003
318
25/000
Fraud (including statutory fraud)


Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003
316
38/006
Escape and rescue (inc escape from police custody or prison)


Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003
317
72/005
Obstruction of local official


Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003
2(1), 11(1), 11(3)(a), 11(3)b
50/011*
Offences relating to persons disqualified from working with children


Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003
78-80
33/006
Culpable neglect of duty


Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003
S1(1), 1(2), 2(1), 5(1),6(1), 7, 10(1), 11(1), 12(1), 13,14, 15(3), 17(2), 18(1), 21(1), 21(5), 23(1), 23(2), 23(3), 24(1), 25(1), 26(1), 31(6), 31(7), 38(7), 50(3), 57, 58, 59, 64(2)
56/001
Salmon and freshwater fisheries offences


Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003
9(1),16(1), 20(1)
56/003
Possession of salmon or trout unlawfully obtained


Sexual Offences Act 2003
122
18/013
Conspiracy to commit sexual acts outside the U.K.


Sexual Offences Act 2003
91
38/018
Failure to notify police/provision of false information


Sexual Offences Act 2003
113
39/015*
Breach of sex offender order


Water Environment & Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003
Sch 2 para 20(a)(ii)
73/004
Control of pollution


Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004
9, 118
39/014*
Breach of anti social behaviour order


Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004
107
39/016*
Breach of parenting order


Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004
22, 37, 45, 47, 126
47/008*
Antisocial behaviour offences


Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004
122, 123
50/013*
Offences against selling spray paint to children


Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004
79, 83(4), 87(5), 93(1), 93(2)
85/034*
Anti-social behaviour, private landlord offences


Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act 2004 Modifier required re purpose (sexual - 18/009 or other 45/001)
4,5
18/009 45/000
Immoral traffic/Aliens and Immigration Offences


Criminal Procedure (Amendment)(Scotland Act 2004 - which amends the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995
11& 22 (of 2004 Act)
39/009
Defence witness, offences by 


Energy Act 2004
97
67/000
Merchant Shipping Acts (not elsewhere classified)


Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004
19, 27, 36, 40(4), 41(2)
73/022
Other conservation offences


Protection of Badgers Act 1992 as amended by schedule 6 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004
 
51/015*
Offences Involving Badgers 


Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended by schedule 6 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004
 
51/004
Birds, offences involving


Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended by schedule 6 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004
 
51/016*
Other Wildlife Offences


Wildlife& Countryside Act 1981 as amended by Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004
15A
51/004
Birds, offences involving



  Secondary Legislation

  

Feeding Stuffs (Enforcement) Regulations 1999
4(9)
85/003
Agricultural offences


Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) (West Coast) (No 4)(S) Order 1999
A4 and A6(b)
56/002
Sea fisheries offences


Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) (West Coast) (No 4)(S) Order 1999
A 5, A6(a), (c), (d), (e) and A9(c)
73/008
Food Safety and Food Standards offences


Good Laboratory Practice Regulations 1999
 
63/003
Health and Safety at Work Acts


Quarry Regulations 1999
R 6(1), (3), 12(1)
63/003
Health and Safety at Work Acts


Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (Amendment) order 1999
 
305/000
Driver's Neglect of Traffic Directions (Not Pedestrian Crossing)


Trunk Roads in Scotland (Temporary Prohibitions and Temporary Speed Restrictions) Order 1999
 
304/000
Other Speeding Offences


Air Navigation Order 2000
A63, 65(1), A68(a), 122(5)&122(6)
85/013
Aviation legislation


Feeding Stuffs (Scotland) Regulations 2000
 
85/003
Agricultural offences


Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) (Butchers' Shops) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2000
 
73/008
Food Safety and Food Standards offences


Sea Fish (Specified Sea Areas)(Regulation of Nets and other Fishing Gear)(Scotland) Order 2000
4
56/002
Sea fisheries offences


Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Conservation Measures) (Scotland) Order 2000
A3, 10
56/002
Sea fisheries offences


Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Control Measures) (Scotland) Order 2000
 
56/002
Sea fisheries offences


Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Control Measures)(Scotland) Order 2000
 
56/002
Sea fisheries offences


Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Satellite Monitoring Measures) (Scotland) Order 2000
 
56/002
Sea fisheries offences


Sheep and Goats Identification (Scotland) Regulations 2000
 
51/003
Animals, offences involving (ex dogs, birds else class)


The Pollution Prevention & Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000
 30(2)(a)
73/004
Control of pollution


Transport of Animals (Cleansing and Disinfection)(Scotland) Regulations 2000
A3(2)&8(1)(a)(i)
85/003
Agricultural offences


Trunk Roads in Scotland (Temporary Prohibitions & Temporary Speed Restrictions) Order 2000
A5
304/000
Other Speeding Offences


Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2000
S 3(1)(a)
51/001
Cruelty to animals (ex dogs) inc killing and maiming cattle


Cattle (Identification of Older Animals) Regulations 2001
R 5, 6
51/003
Animals, offences involving (ex dogs, birds else class)


Foot-and-Mouth Disease Declaratory (Controlled Area) (Scotland) (No.3) Order 2001
A 4(3)(a)
85/003
Agricultural offences


Foot-and-Mouth Disease Declaratory (Controlled Area) (Scotland) Order 2001
A2
85/003
Agricultural offences


Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001
 
318/000
Registration or Identification Mark Offences (Not Lighting)


The Beef Labelling (Enforcement)(Scotland) Regulations 2001
4
73/008
Food Safety and Food Standards offences


Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002
 
63/003
Health and Safety at Work Acts


Disease Control (Interim Measures) (Scotland) Order 2002
A 3(1)(b), A 6
51/003
Animals, offences involving (ex dogs, birds else class)


Traffic Sign Regulation and General Directions 2002
 
306/000
Driver's contravention of Pedestrian Crossing Regulations


Trunk Roads in Scotland (Temporary Prohibitions & Temporary Speed Restrictions) Order 2002
A5
304/000
Other Speeding Offences


TSE (Scotland) Regulations 2002
 
51/003
Animals, offences involving (ex dogs, birds else class)


The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2003
Part 7 (32, 33, 34, 35)
73/019
Other environmental offences


The Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003
 19(2)(a)
73/004
Control of pollution


Avian Influenza (Survey Powers) (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (2004 No 453). Parent Act is section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972
6.(1), 6(2)
51/003
Animals, offences involving (ex dogs, birds else class)


Integrated System and Control Regulations 1993/1317 (as amended by 1994/1134, 1997/1148, 2000/2573)
8
72/005
Obstruction of local official


Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulation 2004
 
74/007
Medicines Acts offences


Olive Oil ( Marketing Standards) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (2004/2661) 
1,4-7
83/013
Trading offences


The Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994 as amended by the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2004
reg 18, 20, 21, 22, 39, 43, 101A
51/016*
Other Wildlife Offences


TSE (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2004 (2004 No 277). 
2.2
51/003
Animals, offences involving (ex dogs, birds else class)


Waste Management Licensing Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2004 - Increases fines set in 1994 (UK) Regulations.
 
73/004
Control of pollution



  Notes:*New SEJD code introduced for these offences.1. Included with offences under Pensions Schemes Act 1993 and Pensions Act 1995.

  Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Offences Under Legislation since June 1999 Creating New Offences, 1999-20031,2

  

Offences under3
Total
Number with Charge Proved


Air Navigation Order 2000
4
4


Anti-Terrorism, Crime & Security Act 2001
1
-


Animal By-Product Order 1999
8
8


Control Of Substances Hazardous To Health Regulations 1999 Regulation 
7
6


Disease Control (Interim Measures)(Scotland) Order 2002
1
1


Feeding Stuffs(Scotland) Regulations 2000
1
1


Foot & Mouth Disease Declaratory(Controlled Area)(Scotland)(No.3)Order 2001
5
3


Management Of Health & Safety At Work Regulations 1999
3
3


Postal Services Act 2000
21
21


Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Conservation Measures)(Scotland) Order 2000
15
15


Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Control Measures)(Scotland) Order 2000
87
85


Sea Fishing(Enforcement Of Community Satellite Monitoring Measures)(Scotland) Order 2000
1
1


Sea Fishing(Specified Sea Areas)(Regulation Of Nets And Gear)(Scotland) Order 2000
1
1


Terrorism Act 2000
18
16


Transport Of Animals(Cleansing & Disinfection)(Scotland) Regulations 2000
1
1



  Notes:1. Provisional data.2. Offences for which there are no records of proceedings against persons having been completed by the end of 2003 are excluded from this table.3. Where main offence.

Crime

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost to businesses of retail crime has been in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) local authority area, (b) town/city and (c) police force area.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive does not directly collect data on the cost to business of retail crime.

  The Scottish Retail Consortium has conducted an annual survey of retail companies since 2000 which estimates the cost to businesses of retail crime. The report from this survey can be obtained from the SRC (src@brc.org.uk).

Education

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to reduce truancy.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has a range of policies to help schools tackle absenteeism, and continues to work with education authorities to refine and develop their policies and practice.

Education

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it can encourage entrepreneurs or philanthropists to invest in education.

Peter Peacock: We are actively working with a number of philanthropists who currently are investing or have expressed an interest in investing in education.

  We are keen to develop those discussions and we are actively doing so.

Education

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions in each local authority area pupils have been sent home from school because of a shortage of teachers in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally.

Education

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address unauthorised absence from schools by pupils with a record of needs or individualised education plan, in light of their absence rates from mainstream schools as highlighted in Attendance and Absence in Scottish Schools 2003-2004 .

Peter Peacock: In 2003-04 the Scottish Executive was able to publish more comprehensive data than ever before on the nature of absence from school and the kinds of pupils involved. I am considering the findings and I take all absence from school seriously.

  Home school link workers can and do improve attendance for the most vulnerable pupils and families. I have recently announced £34 million funding for additional support staff in schools and I have encouraged education authorities to consider the engagement of more home school link workers among their new staff.

Enterprise

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many petrol retailers there are in operation outwith rural areas and how many of these it anticipates will close in the next 12 months.

Nicol Stephen: The information requested is not held centrally.

European Funding

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it has made to ensure the availability of EU structural funds for the Highlands and Islands after 2008.

Allan Wilson: Negotiations on the future Structural Funds programming period – which starts in 2007 – are still at an early stage. This is a reserved matter, but the Executive has been closely engaged with the UK throughout the negotiations. Our approach has been governed by a commitment to maintaining adequate funding for our economic development goals, whether through EU or domestic sources.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be available to support the commencement of a ferry service from Scotland to Norway; what criteria will be attached to such funding; what discussions it has had regarding such a ferry service; what information it has on the number of Norwegian visitors to Scotland and their method of travel to Scotland; what information it has on freight and trade links between Scotland and Norway, and what information it has on the value of Norwegian visitors and trade to the Scottish economy.

Nicol Stephen: A new ferry service from Scotland to Norway may be eligible for Freight Facility Grant (FFG) to help with any additional capital expenditure required to upgrade terminal facilities in Scotland. It may also qualify for a Waterborne Freight Grant (WFG) to help the operator with operational costs in the first three years of the service. Any support would depend on the environmental and economic benefits of transferring lorry miles from the roads to the sea route to qualify. Scottish Enterprise and VisitScotland may also be able to support such a project, subject to state aid considerations.

  Latest figures from VisitScotland show 17,000 trips to Scotland from Norway valued at £4 million during 2003, with 57% trips being by air and 43% by sea. 69% of those trips were for holidays, with the balance being for business and other reasons. The estimated value of exports from Scotland to Norway is £699 million per year and Norway is ranked as 8th in Scotland’s top markets for export.

Flooding

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for tackling flooding.

Lewis Macdonald: We are working, among other things, to avoid inappropriate development in areas at high risk of flooding, to support councils in putting effective flood prevention schemes in place, to improve flood warning systems, and to ensure effective co-ordination of the work of public agencies in the event of flood damage.

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many documents in each of its departments have been shredded or deleted from computer records in anticipation of the implementation of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive regularly and routinely destroys both paper and electronic documents and records as part of effective records management policies. The Scottish Executive does not keep individual details of all documents destroyed or shredded. In line with its Records Management Guidance, however, it does keep a record of the numbers of paper files which have been destroyed (see the following table). Guidance to staff on managing the Executive's paper and electronic records, from creation to destruction or permanent preservation, is provided in the Executive's Records Management Manual which is available through the Scottish Executive's Publication Scheme on www.scotland.gov.uk .

  The table below provides the numbers of Executive files destroyed in the last three years.

  

Year
Files Destroyed


2002
97,165


2003
59,635


2004
57,229

Health

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to determine the provision of accident and emergency services in Glasgow.

Rhona Brankin: I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow that the NHS board will consider a report on the review of the assumptions that underpinned the decision on accident and emergency services in the near future.

Health

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve identification of the number of (a) children and (b) adults with an autistic spectrum disorder in secure settings following the publication of On the Borderline? People with Learning Disabilities and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Secure, Forensic and other Specialist Settings .

Rhona Brankin: On the Borderline found that there is scope for raising awareness about people with learning disabilities and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) across the different disciplines in non-health care settings, including health, social work, social care, education and security staff.

  Secure units have been asked how they intend to take forward the report’s findings. However, the Integrated Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need will lead to the development of a single framework where all workers and services involved with children use similar language and tools up to and including the point of comprehensive assessment.

  The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is taking steps to identify and address the needs of people with learning disabilities and people with ASD. Through the Scottish Network for Forensic Mental Health Care in Secure Settings, it has begun work on a screening tool, with a view to piloting it. The SPS is setting up a Learning Disabilities Working Group to review its overall approach.

Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Sexual Health and Relationships Strategy, referred to by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 4 November 2004 as due to be published before the end of 2004 ( Official Report c 11579), will be published.

Mr Andy Kerr: The strategy and action plan are being published today. Copies are being placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 35112).

Housing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will review the right to buy under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 requires Scottish ministers to publish, by September 2006, a report on the effect of the Right to Buy (RTB). We will consider the case for any further adjustments to the operation of RTB in the light of that report.

Housing

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in addressing the need for affordable housing in rural areas.

Malcolm Chisholm: We have increased our investment in rural areas this year to nearly £80 million which will fund more than 1,400 affordable homes. The percentage share of the housing investment programme allocated to rural areas now stands at a record high - 28% in 2004-05 compared with 20% in 1999-2000. Other important measures include the development of new models for low-cost home ownership and action to improve land supply for affordable housing through land banking and the preferential use of land managed by Forestry Commission Scotland.

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12168 by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 December 2004, what the underspend was in respect of the New Housing Partnership Programme for each of the 28 local authorities referred to.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table sets out the underspends incurred in each of the financial years from 1998 to 2004. The figures in the table are not cumulative. Allocations have been determined on an annual basis taking into account the outturn in previous years and the total resources earmarked for each council.

  

Council
Underspend in 1998-99
Underspend in 1999-2000
Underspend in 2000-01
Underspend in 2001-02
Underspend in 2002-03
Underspend in 2003-04


Aberdeen City
187,000
100,000
0
0
0
0


Argyll and Bute
0
0
71,250
100,000
42,327
389,900


Clackmannanshire
0
20,975
13,776
0
0
0


Dumfries and Galloway
0
6
0
85,048
0
0


Dundee City
2,563,000
5,272,685
371,718
80,000
90,000
25,858


East Dunbartonshire
1,000
361,751
448,413
0
95,982
101,681


East Lothian
1,025,241
887,822
919,000
0
0
223,925


East Renfrewshire
0
100,000
20,000
0
0
0


City of Edinburgh
1,669,468
658,000
589,332
345,950
259,249
0


Eilean Siar
35,000
63,595
44,750
0
191,563
118,261


Falkirk
200,000
10,000
0
0
0
0


Fife
29,000
185,420
0
139,669
66,463
0


Glasgow City
1,932,680
126,465
3,497,097
4,762,152
3,061,350
912,000


Highland
77,000
120,460
139,050
524,394
0
0


Inverclyde
33,000
85,100
24,133
170,360
97,988
0


Midlothian
0
31,000
15,000
0
0
0


Moray
12,000
7,000
98,293
0
30
0


North Ayrshire
4,000
187,455
536,611
740,076
0
0


North Lanarkshire
226,571
86,000
11,625
0
0
0


Perth and Kinross
113,000
47,000
41,128
43,290
0
0


Renfrewshire
0
979,543
103,733
7,182
0
0


Scottish Borders
22,000
0
0
619,294
0
0


Shetland
0
346,208
71,749
743
250
0


South Ayrshire
0
18,887
0
0
0
0


South Lanarkshire
-75,000
69,300
1,138,888
1,332,103
0
0


Stirling
306,000
178,788
601,319
0
0
0


West Dunbartonshire
4,000
0
0
30,000
0
0


West Lothian
543,000
250,000
263,362
0
0
0


Total
8,907,960
10,193,460
9,020,227
8,980,261
3,905,202
1,771,625

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12168 by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 December 2004, what the underspend was in respect of the Rough Sleepers Initiative for each of the 11 local authorities referred to.

Malcolm Chisholm: The underspends over the period 1997-2002 are set out in the following table.

  

Local Authority
Underspend (£)


Angus
6,477


Argyll and Bute
15,670


Dumfries and Galloway
9,892


City of Edinburgh
887,868


Glasgow
1,417,834


Inverclyde
6,663


North and South Ayrshire
47,632


Renfrewshire
65,310


Stirling
16,904


West Dunbartonshire
18,283

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12168 by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 December 2004, what the underspend from 1997 to 2004 was in respect of the Empty Homes Initiative for each of the 20 local authorities referred to.

Malcolm Chisholm: The underspends over the period 1997-2004 are set out in the table below. Throughout the life of the Empty Homes Initiative (EHI), underspends were re-allocated to other authorities which were able to use additional resources. Taking account of these re-allocations, the net underspend on EHI amounted to £1.419 million.

  

Local Authority
Underspend (£)


Aberdeen City
42,157


Aberdeenshire
102,306


Argyll and Bute
182,968


Clackmannanshire
180,000


Dumfries and Galloway
114,895


East Ayrshire
12,890


East Lothian
60,241


City of Edinburgh
649,332


Eilean Siar
12,802


Falkirk
19,330


Inverclyde
267,532


Moray
115,345


North Lanarkshire
146,704


Orkney Islands
3,275


Perth and Kinross
57,000


Scottish Borders
184,640


Shetland Islands
47,494


South Ayrshire
8,437


South Lanarkshire
134,892


Stirling
530,000

Income

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many families were living below the accepted poverty level in Glasgow in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04, broken down by council ward area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Estimates of the numbers and proportion of families living in low income households are available at Scotland level only, not by local authority or ward area. Estimates on the full range of income thresholds and explanation of how these estimates are calculated are published in Households Below Average Income 1994-95 – 2002-03, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 32212).

Legislation

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what definition of "computer system" is used in the drafting of its legislation.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive does not use a single, specific definition of "computer system" in the drafting of legislation. Where the term "computer" is used, the definition will normally depend on the context and the circumstances.

Legislation

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the definition of "computer system" in the European Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA of 22 December 2003 on combating the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography ( Official Journal L 013/45) is more restrictive or less restrictive than its own internal definition or effectively identical to it.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive does not have a single, specific definition of "computer system". The current legislation which deals with indecent pictures of children is section 52 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. This covers pictures "produced by computer graphics or otherwise howsoever". It also covers "data stored on a computer disc or by other electronic means" that is capable of being converted into a picture. The provisions of the 1982 act are wide enough to cover what is included within the definition of "computer system" in the Framework Decision.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of directors in non-departmental public bodies were women in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, broken down by organisation.

Mr Tom McCabe: Information on the Directors (Chief Executives) of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) is contained in the Public Bodies and Appointments website at www.scotland.gov.uk/government/publicbodies . Prior to the website’s establishment in 2002, detailed information on public bodies, including Chief Executives was published in the annual Cabinet Office document Public Bodies. Copies of this document are available from www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/agencies-publicbodies .

  Directors are employees of NDPBs and data is not collected centrally to the same level of detail as for ministerial appointments. There is no centrally held information on the gender of NDPB Directors (Chief Executives).

Planning

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will now announce its position on a third party right of appeal in planning applications.

Malcolm Chisholm: We aim to publish a white paper on all aspects of reforming the planning system in the spring.

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many high profile, from a police perspective, visits there were to Edinburgh in 2004 and how many such visits are anticipated in 2005; what additional resources to Lothian and Borders Police have been earmarked as a result of such visits, and what additional funding will be provided to Lothian and Borders Police in respect of the G8 Summit and any related high profile visitors to Edinburgh.

Cathy Jamieson: Information on the number of high profile visits to Edinburgh is not held centrally and is an operational matter for the Chief Constable.

  In 2004, following recommendations made by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Lothian and Borders Police were allocated an additional £600,000 per annum in recognition of Edinburgh’s capital city status.

  No decision has been taken on the level of additional funding will be provided to the police in respect of the G8 Summit.

Public Interest Disclosure

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to enable whistle-blowers to raise concerns over public services without fear of victimisation.

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it reviews the effectiveness of its whistle-blowing policy.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive has an established policy on whistle-blowing which is based on the provisions of the Civil Service Code and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

  The policy is monitored and reviewed as necessary to take into account any further guidance from the Cabinet Office, legislative change or evidence from individual cases.

Public Interest Disclosure

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has examined the way in which the National Assembly for Wales deals with the issue of whistle-blowing.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive has not examined the way in which the National Assembly for Wales deals with whistle-blowing. However, all Government departments should be taking a similar approach based on the Civil Service Code and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

  The Scottish Executive has an established policy on whistle-blowing which is based on the provisions of the Civil Service Code and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Public Transport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of journeys made by passengers on (a) trains and (b) buses in each year since 1999.

Nicol Stephen: There were 66.1 million rail passenger journeys originating in Scotland, and 449 million passenger journeys (boardings) on local bus services in Scotland, in 2003-04.

  The equivalent figures for earlier years appear in table 8.1 (rail) and table 2.2 (bus) of Scottish Transport Statistics no. 23, 2004 edition, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 33706).

Public Transport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of passengers who travelled on (a) trains and (b) buses in each year since 1999.

Nicol Stephen: The information held by the Executive on passenger numbers relates to passenger journeys. The total numbers of journeys made by train and bus passengers (which count each person once for each journey made as a passenger) are given in my answer to question S2W-13395 answered on 27 January 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  The Scottish Household Survey provides some information about adults' use of train services, and local bus services, in the previous month. This is given in table 10 of Household Transport in 2003: some Scottish Household Survey results, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34410).

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether an announcement will be made in February 2005 on the funding of the Borders Railway.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive will respond to the Waverley Railway’s outline business case in the next few weeks.

Renewable Energy

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it encourages small-scale hydro power schemes.

Allan Wilson: All new hydro schemes and existing schemes up to 20MW installed capacity are eligible for support under the Renewables Obligations.

Roads

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the additional road maintenance funding announced for 2006-07 and future years will be allocated to each local authority and how much each will receive.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive announced on 29 September 2004, as part of the outcome of spending review 2004, an increase in provision for grant aided expenditure (GAE) for road maintenance of £60 million for 2006-07 and 2007-08. This figure is an increase in the Executive’s provision for local authority expenditure funded by a combination of centrally provided government funding through Aggregate External Finance (AEF) and funding raised by local authorities through council tax revenue. Local authorities are free to spend above or below GAE according to their own priorities and budget decisions. The money that local authorities receive through AEF is, in the main, provided by way of a block grant and is not allocated to specific services that local authorities provide.

  GAE is allocated to individual local authorities on the basis of a needs-based distribution formula agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). The main indicator used in the distribution of the roads maintenance GAE allocations is the road length within each local authority with the number of vehicle licenses per kilometre being used as a secondary indicator.

  Almost all of the £60 million increase in GAE (£59.9 million) was allocated to local authorities across three GAE areas; road maintenance, winter maintenance and road lighting. The total GAE for these three areas for the next three years is shown in the attached table. The balance of £0.1 million was allocated to other transport related GAEs. The overall increase in transport GAEs was £62.350 million in 2006-07 and £66.076 million in 2007-08.

  Grant Aided Expenditure Allocations for Roads Maintenance, Winter Maintenance and Road Lighting 2005-08

  

Local Authority
Total
2005-06
£000
Total
2006-07
£000
Total
2007-08
£000


Aberdeen City
7,529
9,785
9,786


Aberdeenshire
18,684
22,896
22,898


Angus
6,766
8,266
8,267


Argyll and Bute
9,188
11,213
11,214


Clackmannanshire
2,103
2,698
2,698


Dumfries and Galloway
13,378
16,247
16,248


Dundee City
4,629
5,708
5,708


East Ayrshire
5,562
6,915
6,916


East Dunbartonshire
4,389
5,467
5,468


East Lothian
4,445
5,498
5,499


East Renfrewshire
3,709
4,644
4,645


Edinburgh (City of)
15,827
17,759
17,760


Eilean Siar
4,287
5,274
5,274


Falkirk
6,489
8,137
8,138


Fife
15,845
19,787
19,788


Glasgow City
17,332
22,003
22,004


Highland
22,740
27,730
27,732


Inverclyde
2,710
3,384
3,384


Midlothian
3,842
4,749
4,749


Moray
5,948
7,311
7,312


North Ayrshire
5,885
7,322
7,322


North Lanarkshire
11,547
14,564
14,565


Orkney Islands
2,987
3,591
3,592


Perth and Kinross
9,559
11,803
11,804


Renfrewshire
6,371
7,948
7,949


Scottish Borders
9,631
11,699
11,700


Shetland Islands
3,001
3,736
3,737


South Ayrshire
5,701
7,012
7,012


South Lanarkshire
13,036
16,391
16,393


Stirling
6,965
7,663
7,664


West Dunbartonshire
3,039
3,790
3,790


West Lothian
7,159
9,191
9,192


Scotland
260,281
320,181
320,207

Roads

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the allocation of additional funding for road maintenance for 2006-07 and future years will have on (a) grant aided expenditure and (b) aggregate external finance in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2006-07 and (iv) 2007-08.

Mr Tom McCabe: The allocation of additional provision for road maintenance for 2006-7 and 2007-08 will have no impact on the Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) or the Aggregate External Finance (AEF) for 2004-5 or 2005-6.

  In 2006-07 and 2007-08 an extra £60 million has been added to the Roads and Transport GAE provision. The £60 million figure was allocated across three different areas of GAE; road maintenance, winter maintenance and road lighting.

  It should be noted that GAE is not funding but it is an increase in the provision for local authority expenditure funded from a combination of central government funding through Aggregate External Finance (AEF) and funding raised locally by local authorities through the council tax.

  It is of course the responsibility of local authorities to set their own local priorities but, local government having made the case for increased resources, the Scottish Executive looks to local authorities to play their part in ensuring that local roads are properly maintained.

Roads

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the allocation of additional funds for road maintenance announced for 2006-07 and future years reflects the recent report by Audit Scotland on road maintenance in terms of road maintenance priorities.

Mr Tom McCabe: The increase of £60 million in provision for grant aided expenditure (GAE) in each of 2006-07 and 2007-08, to address the backlog of maintenance on local roads, reflects the Scottish Executive’s Partnership commitment to ensure sufficient resources are available for the non-trunk road network. We have welcomed the Audit Scotland report, and are working closely with local authorities and the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation Scotland to take forward the recommendations in it.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be spent on trunk road repairs and maintenance in each of the next three years.

Nicol Stephen: The funding allocated to the Transport Portfolio was published in the Draft Budget 2005-06, a copy of which is available in the Parliaments Reference centre (Bib. number 34133)

  The level of funding that has been allocated to be spent on trunk road repairs and maintenance, which includes structural maintenance, in the next three financial years is as follows:

  

Financial Year 
Funding Level
(£ Million)


2005-06
97


2006-07
118


2007-08
118

Roads

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements are planned for the A75 over the next five years; what the estimated cost of each improvement is, and what the planned date for the start of construction is in each case.

Nicol Stephen: The following improvements to the A75 are currently being prepared.

  

Scheme
Cost
£ Million1
Earliest Possible Start Date2


Barfil to Bettyknowes
2.8
2005-06


Cairntop to Barlae
5.4
2005-06


Newton Stewart 
2.2
2005-06


Planting End to Drumflower
3.5
2005-06


Dunragit Realignment
12.1
2006-07


Hardgrove to Kinmount
9.5
2006-07



  Notes:

  1. At 2005 levels.

  2. Subject to satisfactory completion of statutory procedures without recourse to Public Local Inquiry.

Roads

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of claims was made in cash terms in respect of deficient road maintenance on trunk roads in each year since 1999.

Nicol Stephen: The level of claims made in cash terms in each year from 1999 is as follows:

  

Financial Year
Level of Claims
(£000)


1999-2000
136


2000-01
93


2001-02
763


2002-03
321


2003-04
360

Scottish Executive

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of refurbishing each ministerial private office was in the last four years.

Mr Tom McCabe: No significant refurbishment work has been carried out in any private ministerial offices on the Scottish Executive estate in the last four years.

Scottish Executive

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) resource budgets, (b) staffing levels and (c) administration costs of each of its departments (i) were in each year since 2000 and (ii) will be in each year to 2007.

Mr Tom McCabe: The resource budgets are set out in the Consolidated Resource Accounts for each of the years 2000-01 to 2003-04 and are available on the Scottish Executive website. The resource budgets for departments in 2004-05 are set out in the 2004-05 Autumn Budget Revision Supporting Document and for 2005-06 in the Budget Bill Supporting Document for the year ending 31 March 2006. The resource budgets for each Ministerial Portfolio up to 2007-08 are set out in the Draft Budget 2005-06.

  For the staffing levels of each department in the years 2000 to 2004 I refer the member to the question S2W-12292 answered on 6 December 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search. The staffing levels for permanent and fixed-term temporary staff at January 2005 are as follows:

  

 
All Staff


Total
4,517.7


Centrally Managed Staff
88.1


Development Department
317.9


Education Department
317.5


Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department
550.2


Environment and Rural Affairs Department
1,127.5


Finance and Central Services Department
466.1


Health Department
381.2


Justice Department
257.9


Legal and Parliamentary Services
185.9


Office of the Permanent Secretary
825.4



  Staffing levels for future years up to 2007 have yet to be determined.

  The 2000-01 to 2003-04 administration costs of each of the Scottish Executive’s core departments are set out in the table below. Restructuring of departments in the Scottish Executive over the period affects some of the year on year comparisons. The 2004-05 administration budgets for each core department are set out in the 2004-05 Autumn Budget Revision Supporting Document. The 2005-06 and 2006-07 budgets will be considered in the light of departmental commitments and priorities.

  

Department 
2000-01
(£000)
2001-02
(£000)
2002-03
(£000)
2003-04
(£000)


Development
 17,051 
 16,513 
 17,068 
 12,326 


Education1
 15,897 
 9,670 
 10,755 
 11,604 


Enterprise and Lifelong Learning
 9,800 
 11,039 
 11,401 
 20,008 


Environment and Rural Affairs
 28,769 
 31,481 
 33,200 
 34,912 


Finance and Central Services 
 16,356 
 24,195 
 23,069 
 24,495 


Health
 11,928 
 13,029 
 14,188 
 15,341 


Justice
 16,294 
 15,372 
 9,083 
 10,450 


Corporate Services (including OPS and LPS)2
 47,345 
 51,410 
 61,737 
 58,537 


 
 116,095 
 121,299 
 118,764 
 129,136 



  Notes:

  1. 2000-01 outturn includes spend on HM Inspector Schools which became an Agency with effect from 1 April 2001.

  2. OPS is Office of the Permanent Secretary; LPS is Legal and Parliamentary Services.

Scottish Executive Expenditure

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the statement in Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland 2002-03 that Scotland has a £9.3 billion deficit, what steps it will take to prevent competitor nations and regions using this information to Scotland’s commercial disadvantage and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Tom McCabe: I do not consider that the publication of Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland  (GERS) and the information it provides puts Scotland at a commercial disadvantage. The Executive publishes GERS in order to enhance public understanding of fiscal issues in Scotland.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many social inclusion partnership board members have registered their membership of registered political parties, broken down by party affiliation and local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Full records are not available as there is no obligation on board members to declare political affiliations. The following table provides details in respect of those board members who have voluntarily declared their political affiliations.

  

 
Aberdeen City
Aberdeenshire
Angus
Argyll and Bute
City of Edinburgh
City of Glasgow


Conservative
 
 
 
 
 
 


Green
 
 
 
 
 
 


Labour
1
 
 
 
14
23


Lib Dem
1
 
 
2
 
 


SNP 
2
 
 
2
 
1


SSP
 
 
 
 
 
1


Independent
 
 
 
1
 
 



  

 
Clackmannanshire
Dumfries and Galloway
Dundee City
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Lothian


Conservative
 
 
 
 
 
 


Green
 
 
 
 
 
 


Labour
1
 
 
2
 
1


Lib Dem
 
 
 
 
 
 


SNP 
2
 
 
1
 
 


SSP
 
 
 
 
 
 


Independent
 
 
 
 
 
 



  

 
East Renfrewshire
Falkirk
Fife
Highland
Inverclyde
Midlothian


Conservative
 
 
 
 
 
 


Green
 
 
 
 
 
 


Labour
8
 
2
 
1
2


Lib Dem
 
 
 
3
4
 


SNP 
1
 
2
1
 
 


SSP
 
 
 
 
 
 


Independent
1 
 
 
 
 
 



  

 
Moray
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Orkney Islands
Perth and Kinross
Renfrewshire


Conservative
 
 
 
 
 
 


Green
 
 
 
 
 
 


Labour
 
 
 
 
 
 


Lib Dem
1
 
 
 
 
 


SNP 
 
 
 
 
 
 


SSP
 
 
 
 
 
 


Independent
 
 
 
 
 
 



  

 
Scottish Borders
Shetland Islands
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
Stirling
West Dunbartonshire


Conservative
 
 
1
 
 
 


Green
 
 
 
 
 
 


Labour
 
 
5
3
 
3


Lib Dem
 
 
 
 
 
 


SNP 
 
 
 
 
 
1


SSP
 
 
 
 
 
 


Independent
 
 
 
 
 
 



  

 
Western Isles
West Lothian
Total


Conservative
 
 
1


Green
 
 
0


Labour
4
 
70


Lib Dem
 
 
11


SNP 
3
 
16


SSP
 
 
1


Independent
 
 
2

Sustainable Development

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development from 2005 to 2014.

Euan Robson: Yes. My officials are currently developing proposals to mark the decade. A meeting of the Sustainable Development Education Liaison Group is scheduled for 1 February at which this issue will be discussed.

Transport

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that Transport Scotland will work in partnership with local NHS boards to ensure good access to health facilities.

Nicol Stephen: The new transport agency, which is due to be up an running by the end of 2005, will consult with all stakeholders including local NHS boards, to ensure good access to transport services. Health issues will be taken into account in developing the National Transport Strategy which will provide the framework of priorities for the new transport agency and all transport bodies.

Young Offenders

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people have been reported for committing five or more offences within a six-month period in each of the last five years and this year to date and, in respect of these offences, how many disposals there were in each year.

Cathy Jamieson: We do not have any numbers on those who have committed five offences within a six month period. This has never been measured.

  For five referrals in a six month period (the definition of a persistent young offender proposed by the "Improving the Effectiveness of the Youth Justice System" Working Group and accepted by ministers at the end of 2002) we know that the number for 2003-04 is 1,201. This is the first time this information has been available. It was reported to Parliament in a statement on 4 November 2004 and is shown in the baseline report which can be found at:

  http://www.scra.gov.uk/documents/Scottish_Youth_Justice_Baseline.pdf.

  Data for the first quarter of 2004-05 is also available on the SCRA website and the Scottish Executive website at http://www.childrens-hearings.co.uk/youthjusticePublications.asp.

  As I also announced in November 2004 future quarterly and annual data will be released. The Scottish Children's Reporter Administration will be responsible for future data and will also publish future numbers on their website.